"As a schoolboy in Westminster I sat every morning among these things (the monuments in Westminster Abbey) during our morning prayers; if the architecture of the Abbey is inducive of devotion, what a pity that it should be obscured by monuments which induce mockery and rage". Quote from his book:- The Pilgrim Shrines of England, published 1928, page 194.

There were two influences on BCB as a young man when his father had a parish near Evesham. One was George Napier Whittingham, at that time vicar of Evesham and later to become Vicar of S. Silas, Kentish Town. The other was the artist E.H. New who also lived in Evesham. E.H. New off loaded some of his commissioned work on the Methuen guides on to BCB, starting with the maps and later the illustrations. Both EHN and BCB worked in much the same style, in fact BCB might be regarded as a pupil of EHN. See below the Methuen Series titles that BCB illustrated. It was G.N. Whittingham who was to lure BCB to Kentish Town.

January 1910: Moved from 28 Queens Road, Bayswater, W, to 22 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, WC.

1909 - Treasurer to the Monthly Paper Account.1910 - Reader and in choir.1913 - Benjamin Boulter and Bertha Tressler were the first couple to be married at S. Silas.1913 - Moved to 22 Well Walk, Hampstead, NW1917 - Treasurer of Mission Funds 1919 - Server at St. Silas1919 - Secretary of the Mission Funds1921 - Moved to 20 Well Walk, Hampstead, NWDied 26th March 1960

Married to Bertha Fredericka Louisa Tressler on 8th May 1913 - B.S. Boulter (younger brother was best man). Bertha Fredericka Louisa Tressler was aged 31, a spinster, of Hazelcopse, Godalming, a violinist and composer. Pupil of Max Reger.

A resident of Bayswater and later Hampstead was for many years a member of the congregation of St. Silas. Although probably an amateur, was a quite accomplished and ingenious writer of hymns and plays for church occasions. He was also a skilled artist and many drawings by him appear in the Monthly Papers of the church.

Compiled a booklet "A Souvenir of St. Silas" to raise fund for the church - available at the time of the consecration in Nov 1912. (Copy in the Archives)

Saint Silas the Martyr Soaring sublime, as thou would'st fain ascend Far above grimy Earth to Heaven above, Yet humble too, a wise and loving friend To all the humble who seek thee in love, To thee, when sad and tired, to thee we come, To thee, by London's ugliness distrest: Yea here the sparrow hath found for her a home, And the swallow hath built her nest.

Even Thy Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and My God.

B.C.B. 1919

Books published by SPCK LondonA 1927 catalogue lists the following Mystery Plays which were written for S. Silas Church and performed between 1910 and 1930.The Mystery of the EpiphanyThe Mystery of the PassionPaul and Silas - a play in 4 scenes

The following books were written and illustrated by BCB1920 Relics and Realities - a simple pilgrims thoughts 1920 Songs of the Epiphany 1928 The Pilgrim Shrines of England - publ:- Philip Allan/SS Peter Paul 264pp. Illustrated 1933 The Anglican Reformers (to commemorate the centenary of the Oxford Movement) - publ:- Philip Allan1936 Robert GrossetÍte - publ:- SPCK1939 Simon de Montford - publ:- Faith PressIn addition the following book was illustrated by BCBThe Home of Fadeless Splendour by George Napier Whittingham published 1921 by Hutchinson & Co, and also in a second the 1928 edition which also included The Diary of a Pilgrimage to Palestine.

Poem "At Littlemore"Published in "They Shine Like Stars" by the Revd Desmond Morse-Boycott, chapter VII: The Parting of Friends. Skeffington & Son, London 1947. See below for text of poem.

Carol for Christmas by Benjamin & Bertha Boulter

Music by Bertha Boulter

Words by Benjamin Boulter

Song taken from the Epiphany Mystery Play

Words by Benjamin Boulter and music by Bertha Boulter

Local maps drawn by Benjamin Boulter

Statues of S. Silas & S. Paul designed by Benjamin Boulter

St. Silas Martyr

Saint Paul Apostle

Drawings of Saints by Benjamin Boultertaken from the Parish Papers

First Mass Card

St Agnes

St Ambrose of Milan

St Blaise

St Christopher

St Francis of Assisi

St Thomas Aquinas

St Joan of Arc

St Nicholas

St Pancras

AT LITTLEMORE

An old man, dressed in shabby black, was seen leaning on a stile near Littlemore Church, in tears. It was Newman.

He leant upon a stile, noble, unkempt,old and so weary, in a coat shabby and black-green,he leant and wept, and I think he dreamtof what had beenat Littlemore.Then from the valley afar, yonder, a bellsounded. He looked. There Oxford lay and slept:Saint Mary's spire and Trinity and Oriel:his own, so dear,so much his own, so intimately dear;so far, so near.And he leant there and wept,at Littlemore.

He had sought a perfect peace on earth,and for its sake abandoned the old home;Church, friends and pulpit, all he had held of worth,exchanging Oxford's mirage for the gleam of Rome.The gleam was spent,and now he weeping leantupon a stile,remembering the past a little whileat Littlemore-his Littlemore;

so here the old man wept and prayed,beside the church which he himself had madelong years before.He wept with white head bared.Here he had stood vested before the altar then,here had christened children now grown men;here had at last despaired,and seeking elsewhere peace, found war.And now he wept and prayed alone,ungreeted and unknown,leaning upon a stile,weeping for faces, loved, but lost awhile,at Littlemore.

from They Shine Like Stars The Rev. Desmond Morse-Boycott, chapter VII: The Parting of Friends. Skeffington & Son, London 1947